These are the five things that make people happy in the UK

Keep smiling, little one - the over 65s are actually the happiest people in the UK (Source: Getty)

Helen Cahill

Is that six-figure salary not giving you the fulfilment you thought it would? Well don't worry; there are lots of other ways to find happiness.

The ONS released today the five things that make people in the UK happy, and (brace yourselves) money is not one of them.

1. Wedding bells

The happiest people in the UK are married - 80 per cent of married people rate their happiness as high or very high, according to the ONS, compared to just 69 per cent of single people.

Make sure you get it right though; only 66 per cent of people who are divorced or separated say they're happy. This means they are even less happy than widows or surviving partners, 70 per cent of whom are happy.

2. The daily grind

The prospect of your commute to work may not fill you with joy, but it turns out Brits do love their jobs - we just moan a lot.

People in work are happier than the unemployed; just 64 per cent of people out of work say they are happy, compared to 76 per cent of people who have a job.

3. Be patient

Unfortunately, happiness cannot be ordered as easily a Domino's pizza - although the pizza may be an excellent substitute. You may just have to wait for it to come to along.

The ONS says that much of our well-being simply depends on how old we are. The people who are the least happy are aged 45 to 59 - but the happiest age group are the 65-69 year olds.

4. Be healthy

The ONS did a survey asking people to self-report their health - which, admittedly, might not be the most reliable measure - and rate their happiness.

The data body found 83 per cent of people who reported their health as very good also rated themselves as very happy - so get to the gym.

5. Move to Northern Ireland

This might not be the most practical suggestion for City workers, but the ONS found that the happiest people in the UK are in Northern Ireland, 79 per cent of whom say that are happy or very happy. This compares to 73 per cent of Londoners, placing the capital's residents ninth out of 13 regions in the UK.

The south east is the second most happy region in the UK, however, with 76 per cent of people rating their happiness highly.